Little tricks to save 500+ calories at dinner

By: Hilary Meyer | Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I enjoy food WAY too much to always be on a diet. Instead of giving my eating habits an overhaul, I’m going to make small
changes to what I’m already doing when I’m cooking to save more than 500 calories. Here are 5 little tricks that save
calories at dinner.

1. Use a Nonstick Skillet
Cooking oil does a terrific job of preventing foods from sticking to the pan. It also does a terrific job at making your
pants not fit. So in order to use less of it, consider using a nonstick pan. The smooth nonporous surface makes it harder for
foods to stick and burn. You only need a tablespoon of oil to brown chicken in a nonstick pan, as in our low-cal Quick Coq au
Vin recipe (see below). Just one small word of caution: nonstick pans get their nonstickness from perfluorocarbons (PFCs),
chemicals that are linked to liver damage and developmental problems. But who needs their liver or their brain if they look
good in skinny jeans? Just kidding. You can avoid exposure to PFCs if you take care not to scratch the surface of the pan and
don’t use it over very high heat. Or purchase a “green” or “eco-friendly” pan that’s made without PFCs.
Calorie Savings: 124 caloriesDon’t Miss: What
Is the Best Oil for Cooking?

2. Eat More Vegetables
Before you get too excited about French fries technically being considered a “vegetable,” let me clarify: adding
certain vegetables to your meal can help you cut calories. I’m talking about nonstarchy veggies like leafy greens,
peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, etc. They add bulk to your meal without adding too many calories, such as in the Quick
Chicken Coq au Vin recipe, which has mushrooms and is served with a side of green beans (see below).

You’ll also get a healthy dose of fiber, which will help you feel satisfied. And don’t think that adding two puny florets of
broccoli to your plate will help you drop two dress sizes in a week. Be aggressive with your veggie intake. Add a lot, and
subtract more calorie-dense foods. Here’s a scenario: Want 2 cups of pasta? Try mixing 1 cup cooked pasta with 1 cup cooked
shredded cabbage. Slather with your regular amount of sauce.
Calorie Savings: 150 caloriesDon’t Miss: Low-Calorie Dinners
Packed with Produce

3. Measure—Don’t Eyeball—When You’re Cooking
When you’re baking, you dutifully measure all your ingredients, but when you’re cooking dinner, you take a more casual
approach and the measuring equipment tends to stay in the drawer. It’s like you “just know” what a tablespoon of oil looks
like spread out over a 12-inch skillet. But you don’t really, and that’s the problem. The difference between 1 tablespoon of
oil and 2 tablespoons is about 100 calories. So it would behoove you to measure it out. And while you’re at it, you might as
well measure what you’re putting on your plate too. Ever seen what an actual “serving” of pasta is? It’s about 1 cup. Pretty
humbling.
Calorie Savings: 100 calories

4. Consider Soup!
Soup is one of those magical meals that deliver volume without a ton of calories. (As long as you avoid the cream-laden
versions!) It’s mostly water, which fills you up when you eat. And if you’re depressed about shrunken portion sizes, soup can
perk you up. Even a generous bowl of soup can be relatively low-cal as long as you stick to recipes that use broth, plenty of
veggies and lean meats.
Calorie Savings: 115 caloriesRecipes to Try: Quick Low-Calorie Soups

5. Trim the Fat from Your Meat
This may seem like a no-brainer, but there are a million ways to trim fat to slim down dinner. Or at least three ways. Choose
lean cuts of meat like sirloin steak or boneless, skinless chicken breast. There may be just a little fat to trim in the
first place, like in this Quick Coq au Vin recipe below. If you’re cooking fattier cuts of meat like pork shoulder or bacon,
it may be harder to trim all (or any) of the fat before it hits the pan. But as the fat is melting, spoon some of it out of
the pan so it doesn’t make it to your plate. And don’t forget, skin on chicken and turkey is a big source of fat and
calories, so getting rid of it before or after cooking is always a good idea.
Calorie Savings: 51 calories

Quick Coq au Vin
Here’s a quick version of Coq au Vin, a red wine-braised chicken-and-vegetable stew that usually takes the better part of an
afternoon to make. Serve with herbed mashed potatoes and green beans.